1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document-creating support apparatus for creating various documents such as a business document, manual, report, literary writing and the like. The documents which can be created by the apparatus of the present invention are compatible with multimedia documents which include not only character strings but also images, sounds or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Japanese word processors (referred to as "word processor" hereinafter) have been commercially available, and basic technology has been developed for inputting/outputting Japanese, for editing, for Japanese alphabet-Chinese character conversion, for dictionary function, etc.
A document processing system such as a word processor, personal computer, work station and the like which support proofreading and revising a document (created by the word processor or another processing means) has also been developed.
Further, basic technology of mutual data converting among multimedia has been established, where a character string is converted into a sound, a sound is converted into a character string, and a character string is converted into a figure, or vise versa.
A communication technology has been also established whereby a document created by a device is converted into electric signals for transmission to another device, or wherein the devices control each other.
The base of a knowledge processing technology has been established where knowledge and know-how are stored as a knowledge data base.
Although the conventional technology has been described centering on document processing, more expansive technology related to the work station has been established. In this regard, a device employing a multiwindow scheme to enhance labor effectiveness has been commercially available.
The base of the technology of creating a document by using these devices and technology has been established.
In recent years, word processors have been widely used, and documents created by these devices are increasing. More advanced word processors capable of inputting, outputting, editing, proofreading and revising a document have also been commercially available to create a document. As used herein, "proofread" includes revising and correcting.
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 117621/1984 discloses a document editing and proofreading system capable of using common editing and proofreading commands for different kinds of data such as a figure, an image and a writing. Also, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 127137/1984 discloses a means capable of finding miswritten and omitted words in the document which has a characteristic that the boundary of written words is indefinite, for automatically correcting the miswritten and omitted words.
To illustrate disadvantages in the prior art, an explanation will be presented on the operation of a currently commercially available document processing apparatus having a proofreading support function (referred to as "document-proofreading support apparatus" or simply as "proofreading support apparatus" hereinafter. Proofreading of a document is a step in creating the document, and the document-proofreading support apparatus sometimes means the document-creating support apparatus in the explanation.) This apparatus has not been widely used compared with the word processors, and therefore it will be explained in detail.
There are mainly two ways of proofreading in this document-proofreading support apparatus. One is the way of analyzing the appearance of written words in a character string and extracting a part to be revised. The other is the way of utilizing recently developing high language processing technology, such as morphology analysis, structure analysis and meaning analysis. The device for analyzing the appearance of written words does not employ a large-scale dictionary for analysis, and hence it has the advantage that the program is simple, processing speed is high and memory capacity is small. On the other hand, the appearance analyzing device also has the disadvantage that the accuracy in extracting the part to be proofread is unsatisfactory. In other words, in this system, the part to be proofread is extracted by comparing the inputted character string with a registered character string in the memory. Accordingly, the device has no capability of extracting the part to be proofread for a character string that has not been registered. In addition, if the character string alone has been simply registered, the part not to be proofread may often be extracted by mistake instead of the part to be proofread.
On the other hand, the device capable of effecting high-level language processing has disadvantages. For example, it requires a large scale dictionary and processing program, its processing speed is low and memory requirement is large. On the other hand, the high-level processing device has the advantage of high accuracy in extracting the part to be proofread. Namely, in high-level language processing, phenomena having the same function receive indices of the same classification, or are grouped into clusters of respective patterns, whereby variety of phenomena can be extracted. Although this and the aforementioned devices are distinguished from each other in view of extraction of the part to be proofread, they can be distinguished based upon the capability of proofreading incorrect parts.
In the method of analyzing the appearance of written words, since words are replaced only by checking up the character string, errors may occur each time the proofreading step is carried out when a character string having the small number of characters is replaced with that having the large number of characters.
In contrast to the method of analyzing the appearance of written words, the device effecting the high-level language processing provides accurate proofreading even if the proofreading is repeated many times. This results from the fact that the high-level device has a capability of recognizing that the long character string is a symbol of a long sound.
The commercially available document-proofreading support apparatus having a high-level language processing function has basically proofreading supporting functions as state below as (a) to (g).
(a) Declensional kana (japanese alphabet) ending is standardized based upon the reference. For example, if an expression " " appears in a sentence, the part of " " is pointed out while the standardized style of the word, " ", is presented to take the appropriate alternative in the sentence. PA1 (b) Superfluous and omitted characters are pointed out. For example, when " " is miswritten as " ", the apparatus indicates that a character is omitted between " " and " " to urge the user to input the character. PA1 Abominable words, difficult words and classical expressions (if any) are pointed out, and they are replaced with appropriate, plain words. PA1 (c) A sentence which does not corresponding to the reference style is pointed out and standardized, when various styles of sentences make up the document. Disproportion in brackets and missing brackets are pointed out, and correct ones are presented to take them in the sentence. PA1 (d) A sentence having a syntactically vague structure is pointed out to urge the user to revise. PA1 (e) Discord in use of an adverb and superfluous use of passive voice are pointed out to urge the user to revise. PA1 (f) A proper noun and a numeral are pointed out to call the user's attention. PA1 (g) Inappropriate expressions which are particularly prone to frequently appear and misuse of words having the same sounds but different characters are pointed out, and the appropriate alternative is presented to take it in the sentence.
The above-mentioned functions are major ones of the proofreading support apparatus which has been widely used in this way.
Two expressions, "to take the alternative in the sentence" and "to urge the user to revise", are used in the above explanation of the function of the apparatus. "To take the alternative in the sentence" means that the apparatus understands what is wrong and how it should be improved; the appropriate alternatives for improvement are displayed on the window or the like; and, that the operator chooses one of the alternatives to replace the inappropriate part in the sentence with the appropriate alternative. "To urge the user to revise" means that the apparatus senses that something is probably wrong but not tell how it should be corrected. These expressions are distinguished in accordance to the technical level of the current proofreading support apparatus, and if the language processing technique is more advanced, the step "to urge the user to revise" may be upgraded to the step "to take the alternative in the sentence" in future.
However, in any case, a man having a good knowledge must ultimately judge, select words and phrases or revise. In this sense of the words, the current document proofreading apparatus should be more appropriately termed document-proofreading support apparatus.
Such a document-proofreading support apparatus has the following disadvantages.
With the conventional proofreading support apparatus, although a part to be proofread and the alternatives for improvement are presented, the reason why it should be proofread and improved in such a way is not presented.
This means that if the user does not understand the difference between the alternatives, he or she may select an inappropriate one by mistake (if several alternatives for improvement are presented).
Even if there is only one alternative, decisions must be made whether or not it is to be improved in such a way as that the apparatus indicates. Moreover, there still is a risk that the improvement according to the indication of the apparatus leads reversely to an undesirable revision of the correct part to an inappropriate word or phrase.
Thus, if effective information and further information are required for distinguishing an alternative from the other in revising, the conventional apparatus does not have desirable function to solve the problem.
The apparatus can not distinguish one mistake from another in degree; it can not decide whether the mistake should be proofread paying great attention or simply be looked over, and thus sufficient efficiency in proofreading is not obtained.
As mentioned above, the apparatus has no function to present further information and information effective to distinguishing one alternative from the other in revising, and therefore merely a person skilled in the art can operate the apparatus. This is the primary cause of inhibiting the spread of this kind of processing apparatus.
On the other hand, in the steps of creating a document, the conventional word processor is manufactured giving priority to inputting and editing functions, and it does not have such functions as presenting a subject, elaborating a plan, coordinating knowledges, etc. in creating a document.
The present invention effectively overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages by implementing document-proofreading and -creating functions by utilizing information applied to arcs which link correlated retrieving information.